Systems and methods for installing countertops

ABSTRACT

Countertop assemblies, kits for countertop assemblies, and methods of assembly of countertops including a substrate, a surface material, and an edge profile element removably attached to the lower surface of the substrate, the edge profile element including a first leg portion configured to be secured to the lower surface of the substrate and a second leg portion, extending from the first leg portion, configured to substantially overlay the at least one edge surface of the substrate and the at least one edge surface of the countertop surface material.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/880,690, entitled “SYSTEM FORINSTALLING COUNTERTOPS,” filed on Jan. 16, 2007, which is hereinincorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present disclosure is directed to countertop assemblies, kits forcountertop assemblies, countertop edge profile strips, and methods ofassembling or finishing countertop assemblies.

2. Discussion of Related Art

Granite and marble kitchen countertops are a popular consumer choice,attractive because of their elegant finish, great variety of naturalcolors and patterns, and durability. Stone countertops are typicallyavailable in two basic configurations: as a single ¾″ thick stone slabcut to a specified length with a cutout for the sink and a milled edge,generally curved; and as ⅜″ thick stone tiles mounted on plywood,usually fabricated on location.

Stone slabs must be custom cut to exact measurements provided to a stonefabricator and then shipped, usually for a considerable distance and atsubstantial expense, to the installation location. Because of theexcessive weight of the stone, typically requiring several workers fortransport and installation, and vulnerability to damage, slabs areinvariably at the high end of countertop costs. The timeline for slabinstallation from design to completion often takes months.

Stone tiles, usually 12″ square, are, by comparison to stone slabs, easyto purchase, handle, and install. Stone tiles can be precisely cut toany size and quickly installed in a bed of grout over plywood by acarpenter on location. The savings afforded by using stone tiles overthe cost of a slab is substantial, with tile installation costing afraction of that of slabs. Although not seamless like a slab, tilejoints can be minimized in appearance by using a grout color compatiblewith the tile. The principal and persistent disadvantage of countertopsconstructed using stone tile has been the unattractive appearance of thefacing edge. Whereas the edge of a slab is contiguous to the surface andcan be milled by the supplier into a variety of finished profiles, theinstaller of tiles is faced with somehow covering up the exposed“sandwich” of stone, grout (or an appropriate adhesive), and plywoodbacking. Solutions may include strips of finished wood or Formica(requiring frequent maintenance and repair), and specially ordered stonefacings that must match the tile (expensive, time-consuming and stillwith an exposed joint). Metal extrusions that cover the exposed edge arenot commonly available commercially, and those that are generally havetwo vertical sections that cannot be removed once installed. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,581 to Denis Kopp et al. describes acountertop assembly kit including an edge profile strip that may bepermanently attached to the edge of a countertop by way of a projectingtongue inserted and sealed into a groove formed in the edge of thecountertop.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Embodiments of the disclosure described herein include countertops,countertop assemblies, kits for the construction or finishing ofcountertops, and methods of constructing or finishing countertops.

Countertops according to some embodiments may include a substrate havingan upper surface and a lower surface and at least one edge surface and acountertop surface material having an upper surface and a lower surfaceand at least one edge surface. The countertop surface material may bedisposed on and substantially coextensively overlay the upper surface ofthe substrate such that the at least one edge surface of the countertopsurface material is substantially aligned with the at least one edgesurface of the substrate. An edge profile element may be removablyattached to the lower surface of the substrate. The edge profile elementmay include a first leg portion configured to be secured to the lowersurface of the substrate and a second leg portion, extending from thefirst leg portion, configured to substantially overlay the at least oneedge surface of the substrate and the at least one edge surface of thecountertop surface material. At least one edge surface of the countertopsurface material may be substantially co-planar with the at least oneedge surface of the substrate. The second leg portion of the edgeprofile element may include an upper edge configured to engage thecountertop surface material along the at least one edge surface of thecountertop surface material and proximate to the upper surface of thecountertop surface material, substantially along an entire length of theat least one edge surface of the countertop surface material.

In some embodiments, the second leg portion of the edge profile elementis configured with a body portion that is spaced away from the at leastone edge surface of the substrate, and in certain embodiments the edgeprofile element may include at least one spacer element disposed in thespace defined by the body portion of the second leg of the edge profileelement. The edge profile element may be secured to the lower surface ofthe substrate with a fastener.

The edge profile element may be fabricated from metal, may comprise acontinuous metal band, and may include at least one of mitered edges anddie cut edges. The edge profile element may further comprise an outerlayer including at least one of a powder coating, a paint coating, andan electroplated coating. In some embodiments, the second leg portion ofthe edge profile element may include an upper edge configured to apply apressure against at least a portion of the countertop surface materialalong the at least one edge surface of the countertop surface material.The edge profile element may be configured to engage another edgeprofile element at adjacent lengthwise ends.

In some embodiments, the edge profile element may include a recess,adapted and configured to accommodate an edge banding mounted therein.The edge banding may be fabricated from at least one of tile, stone,ceramic, marble, granite, formica, and plastic. The countertop mayinclude at least one fastener configured to secure the edge profileelement to the substrate at least one position along the at least oneedge surface of the substrate.

The countertop surface material may be fabricated from at least one oftile, stone, ceramic, marble, granite, formica, and plastic and thesubstrate may comprise plywood.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure comprise countertop edgingkits. Some embodiments of a countertop edging kit according to thepresent disclosure may include a substrate having an upper surface and alower surface and at least one edge surface, a countertop surfacematerial having an upper surface and a lower surface and at least oneedge surface, the countertop surface material being adapted andconfigured to be disposed on and substantially coextensively overlay theupper surface of the substrate such that the at least one edge of thecountertop surface material is substantially aligned with the at leastone edge surface of the substrate, and an edge profile element includinga first leg portion configured to be secured to the lower surface of thesubstrate and a second leg portion, extending from the first legportion, configured to substantially overlay the at least one edgesurface of the substrate and the at least one edge surface of thecountertop surface material.

In some embodiments of the countertop edging kit, the substrate maycomprise plywood. In some embodiments, the plywood may have a thicknessof about 0.75 inches.

In some embodiments of the countertop edging kit, the countertop surfacematerial may be fabricated from at least one of tile, stone, ceramic,marble, granite, formica, and plastic.

The countertop edging kit according to some embodiments may furthercomprise instructions for assembling the kit and may include additionalitems, for example, an adhesive material.

The countertop edging kit may comprise an edge profile element includinga first leg portion configured to be secured to a lower surface of asubstrate and a second leg portion, extending from the first legportion, configured to substantially overlay at least one edge surfaceof the substrate and instructions for mounting the edge profile elementonto a countertop assembly, and may further comprise fasteners.

Also encompassed by the present disclosure is a method of constructing acountertop. This method may comprise providing a substrate having anupper surface and a lower surface and at least one edge surface,disposing a countertop surface material having an upper surface and alower surface and at least one edge surface on the upper surface of thesubstrate, the countertop surface material substantially coextensivelyoverlaying the substrate and such that at least one edge surface of thecountertop surface material is substantially aligned with the at leastone edge surface of the substrate, and securing an edge profile elementto the lower surface of the substrate. The step of securing the edgeprofile element to the lower surface of the substrate may include usingfasteners capable of being removed from the substrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In thedrawings, each identical or nearly identical component that isillustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. Forpurposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in everydrawing. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional perspective view from beneath and to theleft of the embodiment according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a further alternate embodiment ofthe disclosure; and

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the contents of a kit for assembling acountertop according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This invention is not limited in its application to the details ofconstruction and the arrangement of components set forth in thefollowing description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention iscapable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carriedout in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used hereinis for the purpose of description and should not be regarded aslimiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,”“containing”, “involving”, and variations thereof herein, is meant toencompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well asadditional items.

The present disclosure is directed to countertop assemblies, kits forcountertop assemblies, countertop edge profile elements or strips, andmethods of assembling or finishing countertop assemblies.

One embodiment of the present disclosure may comprise stone tile adheredonto a backing of plywood, to which an extruded metal edge profileelement, which can be cut in lengths by an installer, may be attachedwith screws to the underside of an outer edge of the plywood. The metaledge profile element may be a continuous and removable metal band whichcompletely conceals the facing edge of the stone, grout or adhesive, andplywood. This edge profile element can be made in a variety of profilesand finishes, and may be readily replaced because it may be attached tothe plywood on its underside by removable screws or other suitablefasteners. The edge profile element band may be made of stainless steel,aluminum, chrome, etc., in a variety of finishes, such as polishedstainless, burnished nickel, antique copper, or other metallic ornon-metallic finishes.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a countertop assembly, generallyindicated as 100, according to the present disclosure. For clarity, inthis figure as well as in all others, only a part of a top portionproximate to an edge of the countertop is illustrated. Also not shownare any tile joints, which may be present in some embodiments, and mayvary in location based upon the size of the tile that may be utilized.The countertop assembly 100 includes a substrate 102 and a countertopsurface material 104, which substantially and coextensively overlays thesubstrate, positioned so that the edge 106 of the substrate 102 and theedge 108 of the countertop surface material 104 are aligned, co-planarto one another. The countertop surface material 104 is held in place onthe substrate with a layer of grout or adhesive 110. Grout 110 maycomprise any type of grout, adhesive, or mastic cementing materialcapable of securing or otherwise adhering the countertop surfacematerial 104 in place on the substrate 102. Removably attached to abottom surface 112 of the substrate 102 is an edge profile element 114,which is connected to the substrate 102 by one or more fasteners 116that pass through holes 118 provided in a substantially planar first legportion 114A of the edge profile element 114 and into the substrate 102.The edge profile element 114 includes a rounded second leg portion 114Bextending upward from the first leg portion 114A as shown in FIG. 1. Thesecond leg portion 114B makes contact at its upper edge with thecountertop surface material 104 along edge 108 of the countertop surfacematerial 104 proximate to the upper surface 120 of the countertopsurface material 104. The edge of the second leg portion 114B of theedge profile element 114 may in some cases be arranged or pre-stressedprior to assembly to apply pressure against the countertop surfacematerial 104 so as to prevent particles or fluid from migrating betweenthe edge profile element 114 and the remainder of the countertop. In theembodiment of FIG. 1, the second leg portion 114B of the edge profileelement 114 defines a curved body portion spaced away from the edges ofthe substrate 102 and the countertop surface material 104 between thepoints of contact of the edge profile element 114 along the bottomsurface of the substrate 102 and the edge of the countertop surfacematerial 104. The materials from which the various elements illustratedin FIG. 1 may be formed are described further below.

FIG. 2 illustrates the embodiment of the countertop shown in FIG. 1 froma view slightly below and to the left of the edge of the countertop. Itcan be seen that the edge profile element 114 may comprise a continuousband that may extend substantially along the entire length of an edge ofa countertop and hide the “sandwich” of substrate, grouting, and surfacematerial along the edge of the countertop from view. Although not shown,the lengthwise edge or edges of the countertop edge profile element 114may be mitered or die cut. The lengthwise edge may be shaped to form aseamless joint with a second edge profile where it is desired that twoedge profiles engage one another, for example, at a corner of acountertop. In some embodiments, inside and outside corners of the edgeprofile element may be factory precision cut, mitered and beveled asnecessary, to achieve a precise fit, or may be shaped as necessary onsite, using the proper equipment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a second embodiment of a countertop assembly,generally indicated at 200, according to the present disclosure. Sincecountertop assembly 200 is substantially similar to countertop assembly100, like parts are identified by the same reference numbers. In thisembodiment, the edge profile element 114 includes a spacer element 202disposed in the space defined by the curved body portion of the secondleg element 114B of the edge profile element 114. This spacer element202 may project toward the edge surfaces 106, 108 of the substrate andthe countertop surface material. In some embodiments, the spacer elementmay contact the edge surfaces 106, 108 of the substrate and thecountertop surface material, either together or at only one of theedges, e.g., edge 106 as shown in FIG. 2, and thus increase the rigidityof the edge profile element 114 and safeguard it from being pushed inagainst the substrate 102 or countertop surface material 104.Specifically, the spacer element 202 may prevent bending or kinking ofthe edge profile element 114. In some embodiments there may be one ormore discrete spacer elements 202, and in other embodiments the spacerelement 202 may be continuous along the entire length of the edgeprofile element 114.

FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of the countertop assembly,generally designated at 300, according to the present disclosure. Inthis embodiment, the edge profile element 114 may be configured toreceive an edge banding 302. The edge banding 302 may be fabricated froma material to match the countertop surface material 104, which mayinclude, for example, tile, stone, ceramic, marble, granite, formica,plastic, or other materials suitable for countertop surfaces. In theembodiment according to FIG. 4, the upwardly extending second legportion 114B of the edge profile element 114 includes a recess intowhich the edge banding 302 may be inserted. In some embodiments thisrecess may be square-shaped and in other embodiments may be V-shaped. Aninstaller may cut edge banding pieces 302 from, for example, tilesquares, apply adhesive or grout to the pieces, and insert the piecesinto the recess. Grouting that may be utilized for adhering a countertopsurface material to a substrate may include any form of grout, adhesive,or mastic cementing layer appropriate for adhering a particularsubstrate material to a particular countertop surface material. A tilegrout, which may be sand or not sand based, and may be color designatedby consumer or fabricator, may be used for filling surface tile joints,or to fill the open spaces around the pieces of material inserted intothe edge banding, if any.

Alternately, the edge banding 302 may be press fit into the recess so asto be more easily removable. If desired, the joints between any cutpieces of edge banding in the slot can be aligned with any joints thatmay be present in the countertop surface material above, such as, forexample, joints between adjacent tile elements, if present. Inembodiments, such as the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the upwardlyextending second leg element 114B contacts the edge 106 of the substratematerial 102 and/or the edge 108 of the countertop surface material 104,and an additional fastener 304 or fasteners may be used to hold the edgeprofile element 114 securely against the edge of the substrate 102and/or countertop surface material 104.

Materials of construction of the various elements discussed above arenot meant to be limited to the materials discussed with regard to theillustrated embodiments. For example, the substrate 102 may beconstructed of plywood, particle board, hardwood, cork, combinationsthereof, or any other material which is capable of serving as asubstrate for a countertop and having an edge profile element attachedthereto.

The countertop surface material may be formed from tile, stone, ceramic,marble, granite, formica, plastic, combinations thereof, or othermaterials suitable for countertop surfaces. If tiles are used for thecountertop surface material, the tiles can be cut on site to anydimension, e.g., to fit cutouts for sinks. Tiles may be pre-cut orotherwise provided as to any desired size, larger or smaller than onefoot square. For example, a larger tile size might be desirable in someapplications in order to minimize the number of joints.

The edge profile element may be formed from metal, plastic, composite,combinations thereof, or other suitable materials. The edge profile maybe formed from metal which has been extruded, or shaped in some othermanner. Inside and outside corners of the edge profile element may befactory precision cut, mitered and beveled as necessary, to achieve aprecise fit. In a kit form this could also be factory ordered oraccomplished by, for example, a skilled fabricator on site using theproper equipment. The spacer element or elements, where present, may beformed integral with the remainder of the edge profile element, or maybe separate elements attached to the edge profile element or simplydisposed between the edge profile and the substrate or countertopsurface material. The edge profile element may have any of a number ofcoatings, such as, for example, an outer layer including a powdercoating, a paint coating, an electroplated coating, a sandblasted ortextured coating, or any other surface coating or treatment desired.

The edge profile element need not necessarily be formed from a smoothpiece of material or of a material with constant thickness. For example,in some embodiments, the first leg portion of the edge profile elementmay include roughened portions or may be formed with a ribbed,zig-zagged-shaped, or textured profile which may, when mated to asubstrate, provide a surface in contact with the substrate that mayexhibit a greater degree of friction than an edge profile element with auniform, smooth surface.

The shapes of the various elements shown in the drawings are notintended to be limiting. For example, a countertop according to someembodiments of the present disclosure may have a curved or rounded,rather than straight edge. Similarly, the countertop surface materialsor substrates need not have planar or vertically oriented edge surfaces.For example, in some embodiments according to the present disclosure, acountertop substrate may have a beveled edge profile. Edge profileelements may be shaped in various ways to accommodate different possiblevariations in countertop edge profiles.

Countertop assemblies according to the present disclosure may beprovided as factory-made units, as kits, or as individual componentswhich may be purchased separately. If provided as a kit, as illustratedin FIG. 5, the kit, generally designated at 500, may contain acountertop substrate 102, a countertop surface material, illustrated asa group of tiles 104 in FIG. 5, and an edge profile element 114. In someembodiments, a kit 500 according to the present invention may contain asubstrate material 102 made of plywood. In some embodiments a kit 500according to the present disclosure may contain a countertop surfacematerial 104 fabricated from at least one of tile, stone, ceramic,marble, granite, formica, plastic, combinations thereof, or any othermaterial suitable for a countertop surface. A kit 500 according to someembodiments may include instructions 502 for assembling the kit 500. Akit 500 according to some embodiments may include an edge profileelement 114 and instructions for mounting the edge profile element 114onto a countertop assembly. A kit according to some embodiments mayinclude fasteners 116. In some embodiments, the kit may contain adhesivematerial or grouting, such as container of adhesive 504 as illustratedin FIG. 5. Grouting that may be utilized for adhering a countertopsurface material to a substrate may include any form of include any formof grout, adhesive, or mastic cementing layer appropriate for adhering aparticular substrate material that may be included in the kit to aparticular countertop surface material that may be included in the kit.A tile grout, illustrated as container of grout 506 in FIG. 5, which mayor may not be sand-based, and may selected from a variety of colorsdesignated by the consumer or fabricator, may be included in the kit tobe used for filling surface tile joints, if any.

The present disclosure encompasses methods of constructing a countertop.Some methods may include steps of providing a substrate for acountertop, disposing a countertop surface material onto the substratesuch that at least one edge of each of the substrate and the surfacematerial are substantially aligned, and securing an edge profile elementto the lower surface of the substrate. In some methods, the step ofsecuring the edge profile element to the lower surface of the substratemay include using fasteners which are capable of being later removedwithout damage to the countertop.

Some methods according to the present disclosure may involve following aset of instructions which describe various steps in the construction ofthe countertop. In some embodiments the instructions may comprise stepsfor securing an edge profile element to a pre-existing countertop. Somemethods may include following a set of instructions which comprise stepssuch as laying out the materials for the countertop assembly, cuttingthe materials to size, aligning and adhering the countertop surfacematerial to the substrate, securing the edge profile element to thesubstrate, and cleaning the completed assembly. According to somemethods, aligning and securing the countertop surface material to thesubstrate may include aligning the countertop surface material such thatit substantially coextensively overlays the substrate and such that atleast one edge surface of the countertop surface material issubstantially aligned with the at least one edge surface of thesubstrate. According to some methods, the edge profile element may beremovably attached to the countertop substrate material, and may beattached using one or more fasteners, such as, for example, screws.

Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of thisdisclosure, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications,and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Suchalterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part ofthis disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope ofthe disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing description and figures areby way of example only.

1. A countertop comprising: a substrate having an upper surface and alower surface and at least one edge surface; a countertop surfacematerial having an upper surface and a lower surface and at least oneedge surface, the countertop surface material disposed on andsubstantially coextensively overlaying the upper surface of thesubstrate such that the at least one edge surface of the countertopsurface material is substantially aligned with the at least one edgesurface of the substrate; and an edge profile element removably attachedto the lower surface of the substrate, the edge profile elementincluding a first leg portion configured to be secured to the lowersurface of the substrate and a second leg portion, extending from thefirst leg portion, configured to substantially overlay the at least oneedge surface of the substrate and the at least one edge surface of thecountertop surface material.
 2. The countertop of claim 1, wherein theat least one edge surface of the countertop surface material is arrangedsubstantially co-planar with the at least one edge surface of thesubstrate.
 3. The countertop of claim 1, wherein the second leg portionof the edge profile element includes an upper edge configured to engagethe countertop surface material along the at least one edge surface ofthe countertop surface material and proximate to the upper surface ofthe countertop surface material, substantially along an entire length ofthe at least one edge surface of the countertop surface material.
 4. Thecountertop of claim 3, wherein the second leg portion of the edgeprofile element is configured with a body portion that is spaced awayfrom at least the at least one edge surface of the substrate.
 5. Thecountertop of claim 4, further comprising at least one spacer elementdisposed in the space defined by the body portion of the second leg ofthe edge profile element.
 6. The countertop of claim 1, wherein the edgeprofile element is secured to the lower surface of the substrate with afastener.
 7. The countertop of claim 1, wherein the edge profile elementis fabricated from metal.
 8. The countertop of claim 7, wherein the edgeprofile element comprises a continuous metal band.
 9. The countertop ofclaim 7, wherein the edge profile element includes at least one ofmitered edges and die cut edges.
 10. The countertop of claim 7, whereinthe edge profile element further comprises an outer layer including atleast one of a powder coating, a paint coating, and an electroplatedcoating.
 11. The countertop of claim 1, wherein the countertop surfacematerial is fabricated from at least one of tile, stone, ceramic,marble, granite, formica, and plastic.
 12. The countertop of claim 1,wherein the edge profile element includes a recess formed thereinadapted and configured to accommodate an edge banding mounted therein.13. The countertop of claim 12, wherein the edge banding is fabricatedfrom at least one of tile, stone, ceramic, marble, granite, formica, andplastic.
 14. The countertop of claim 13, further comprising at least onefastener configured to secure the edge profile element to the substrateat least one position along the at least one edge surface of thesubstrate.
 15. The countertop of claim 1, wherein the substratecomprises plywood.
 16. The countertop of claim 1, wherein the second legportion of the edge profile element includes an upper edge configured toapply a pressure against at least a portion of the countertop surfacematerial along the at least one edge surface of the countertop surfacematerial.
 17. The countertop of claim 1, wherein the edge profileelement is configured to engage another edge profile element at adjacentlengthwise ends.
 18. A countertop edging kit comprising: a substratehaving an upper surface and a lower surface and at least one edgesurface; a countertop surface material having an upper surface and alower surface and at least one edge surface, the countertop surfacematerial being adapted and configured to be disposed on andsubstantially coextensively overlay the upper surface of the substratesuch that the at least one edge of the countertop surface material issubstantially aligned with the at least one edge surface of thesubstrate; and an edge profile element including a first leg portionconfigured to be secured to the lower surface of the substrate and asecond leg portion, extending from the first leg portion, configured tosubstantially overlay the at least one edge surface of the substrate andthe at least one edge surface of the countertop surface material. 19.The countertop edging kit of claim 18, wherein the substrate comprisesplywood.
 20. The countertop edging kit of claim 19, wherein thesubstrate comprises plywood with a thickness of about 0.75 inches. 21.The countertop edging kit of claim 18, wherein the countertop surfacematerial is fabricated from at least one of tile, stone, ceramic,marble, granite, formica, and plastic.
 22. The countertop edging kit ofclaim 18, further comprising instructions for assembling the kit. 23.The countertop edging kit of claim 18, further comprising an adhesivematerial.
 24. A countertop edging kit comprising: an edge profileelement including a first leg portion configured to be secured to alower surface of a substrate and a second leg portion, extending fromthe first leg portion, configured to substantially overlay at least oneedge surface of the substrate; and instructions for mounting the edgeprofile element onto a countertop assembly.
 25. The countertop edgingkit of claim 24, further comprising fasteners.
 26. A method ofconstructing a countertop comprising: providing a substrate having anupper surface and a lower surface and at least one edge surface;disposing a countertop surface material having an upper surface and alower surface and at least one edge surface on the upper surface of thesubstrate, the countertop surface material substantially coextensivelyoverlaying the substrate and such that at least one edge surface of thecountertop surface material is substantially aligned with the at leastone edge surface of the substrate; and securing an edge profile elementto the lower surface of the substrate.
 27. The method of constructing acountertop of claim 26, wherein securing the edge profile element to thelower surface of the substrate includes using fasteners capable of beingremoved from the substrate.